Washboiler



May 8, 1923. 1,454,537

J. R. M. CHALFANT ET AL WASHBOILER Filed Dec. 30. 1921 Fatented May 8, i923;

ts-ten JOHN R. M. CHA LFANT AND BESSE PHILLIPS CHALFANT, OF MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA.

wAsHBoILEn.

Application filed. December 30, 1921. Serial No. 526,021.

To all w/zom it may concern.

Be it known that we, JOHN R. M. CHAL- FANT and Bnssn PHILLIPS CHALrANT, citi Zens of the United States of America, and

residents of lvlorgantown, county of Monongalia, and State of Vest Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ashboilers, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to .wash boilers and it has for its primary object to pro vide a boiler having a construction which permits of its being divided centrally into two separate compartments with the end in view to provide for the separate boiling at one and the same time of clothes of two different kinds, as fine clothes and coarse clothes, which would otherwise require either that two separate boilers be employed or that two separate boilings be resorted A furtherobject is to provide a wash boiler of the character mentioned which may be employed interchangeably as a single-chamber receptacle, as ordinarily, or as a two-chamber receptacle, the latter being produced by seating therein a removable division wall having the form of a readily slidable panel.

A still further object is to provide a vessel of. the character mentioned, which is equipped with means whereby either or both chambers thereof may be drained of water prior to removal of the clothes, thus greatly reducing the weight and facilitating the removal of the vessel from the fire, in that the vessel with the clothes therein may then be readily lifted and carried to a point where all the clothes can be dumped bodily therefrom,

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in the features of construction, arrangement of parts and combinations of elements which will hereinafter be exemplified. reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of the invention; and I Figure 2 is a transverse section on line 2-2, Fig. l.

Referring to said drawings, 1 indicates a wash boiler body having the general elongated oval form common to boilers of this type, the same having a bottom 2. Attached rigidly to the inner sides of the opposite side walls of the body 1 and to the bottom 2 substantially midway between the ends thereof is a seating member designed for the reception of a panel-like division wall. or slide member by which the interior of the vessel may be divided into two noncommunicating compartments. i

#:Said seating member 3 is, preferably formed of a single strip of sheet metal which is bent to form opposite lateral flanges or foot portions 5, leg portions 6,. rising from and disposed at right angles to said foot portions,'and an intermediate refieX or retrorsa-l loop 7, said leg portions-being united to said loop byopposite inturned lips 8 which are separated by a narrow throat. n i

The seating member is shaped. to conform substantially to the internal transverse shape of the vessel body 1 and has the foot portions 5 thereof suitably attached to the bottom and side walls of said body, as by soldering. y n The loop 7 is preferably lined interiorly with a suitable yieldable packing v9,, as a. rubberized fabric material, adapted to form a close joint with the lower and lateral edges of the division panel 4 when the latter occupies a seated position. 'Said panelpreferably has its opposite lateral edges beaded, as shown at 1O, to substantially correspond with the internal formation of the loop, the vertical portions of the latter constituting guideways through which said beaded edges 7 are slidable as the panel is, inserted and removed. The panel is very slightly tapered from itsupper end downward, and the vertical portions of the loop, or the guideways are correspondingly inclined inward so that the former becomes more or less closely wedged as it assumes a seated position.

To prevent overheating which would result in melting the solder by which the seating member 3 is attached, one or more pen forations 11 may be provided in only one of the leg portions 6 at a suitable point or points, thus affording access for water to the open space 12 between said leg portions. A hand opening 18 is provided in the uppe end of the panel, as shown.

As is manifest, when the removable panel boiled simultaneously, The water from said compartments may be drawn oil? through suitably located faucets 14, after which the vessel containing the boiled clothes may be readily carried and the clothes bodily dumped therefrom, thus obviating the usual objectionable practice of transferring dripping clothes on a stick from the wash boiler to another vessel located at a distance from such boiler. I

Other advantages of the structure described are readily apparent and therefore need not here be described.

lVhat is claimed is 1. A wash boiler comprising a boiler body. a panel adapted to form a division wall whereby the interior of said body is divided into two compartments, and a seat for said panel permanently mounted on the bottom and sides of said body midway between the ends of the latter, said seat being formed of sheet metal and being bent to form opposite "foot and leg portions and an intermediate retrorsal' loop, the latter a-iiording a guide channel in which the lateral edges of said panel are receivable.

2. A wash boiler comprising a boiler body, a panel adapted to form a division wall whereby the interior of said body is divided into two compartments, and a seat for said panel permanently mounted on the bottom and sides of said body midway between the ends of the latter, said seat being formed 1 of sheet metal and being bent to form opposite foot and leg portions and an intermediate retrorsal loop, said foot portions being attached to said body and said loop affording a channel in which edges of said panel removably seat to form a water-tight joint.

3. A wash boiler comprising a boiler body. a panel adapted to form a division wall whereby the interior of said body is divided into two compartments, and a seat for said panel permanently mounted on the bottom and sides of said body midway between the ends of the latter, said seat being formed of sheet metal and being bent to form 0pposits foot and leg portions and an intermediate retrorsal loop, said foot portions being attached to said body and said loop affording a channel in which edges of said portions, said loop opening inward through a throat of restricted width, and a panel slidable into and out of seated relation to said seating member whereby said body is divided into two compartments, the bottom and lateral edges of said panel being receivable within said loop and forming a tight joint with the latter, one of said leg portions being provided with perforations.

5. A wash boiler comprising aboiler body, a seating member located substantially midway between the ends of said body, said member consisting oi a single strip of sheet metal bent to form opposite foot portions, leg portions rising from said foot portions, and a retrorsal loop intermediate said leg portions, said loop opening inward through a throat of restricted width, and a panel slidable into and out of seated relation to said seating member whereby said body is divided into two compartments, the bottom and lateral edges of said panel being ceivable within said loop and forming a tight joint with the latter, and faucets carried by said body and affording means for draining said separated compartments In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN R. M. CHALFANT. BESSE PHILLIPS CHALFANT.

' \Vitnesses: C. E. Moonn,

W. C. DAVIES. 

